An Inconvenient Beauty (Sept. 5, 2017) by Kristi Ann Hunter.*
One thing that
Griffith, Duke of Riverton, learned from his childhood was that he would remain
in control. Always. He prefers order, logic and sensibility, and he applies
that rationale to his choice of a bride. He’s logically certain that Miss
Frederica St. Claire is his perfect choice for a wife. As it were, she appears
to ignore his interest, but it doesn’t stop him from trying to pursue her.
Distractingly, though, where Frederica is, there too is Miss Isabella
Breckenridge, Frederica’s stunningly beautiful cousin. As often as he tells
himself to forget about Isabella, thoughts of her continue to sneak in.
Isabella has been presented to the
London elite for her society debut in 1815. Unfortunately, she cannot enjoy it
due to a bargain she accepted out of desperation for her family’s difficult
circumstances. Although she finds herself drawn to the Duke of Riverton, she
quashes it, knowing that her regretful agreement dashes any romantic hopes she
may have for a man of her choosing. And weighs heavily on her conscience as
well.
Not having read a story from this
author, I didn’t know what to expect. I’m happy to report that I really enjoyed
this story from the Hawthorne House
series. It was as delightful as a sunshiny spring day, and I didn’t feel lost
in a maze even though I did not read the preceding novels. Hunter writes characters
who have substance and are not all frou-frou. She also writes with wit, as more
than once did I laugh out loud. Yes, there’s struggle and regret and heartache.
Yes, there’s humor and laughter, faith, prayer and love. There are passion
projects for the right reasons and passions displaced. And that sounds a lot
like life, whether in 1815 or 2017.
* Disclosure of
Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I
was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own.
I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR,
Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in
Advertising.”
Since I mentioned I laughed out loud more than once, I thought I'd share some of my favorite lines from the book.
ReplyDelete-- "Miss Breckenridge, you must allow me to tell you how brilliant your teeth are. Were you a horse, I would bid until I won you." - Random, would-be suitor attempting to compliment-catapult himself into Isabella's favor. (p. 77)
-- "I had a rowboat when I was a kid, and I would row across to pick strawberries. That's you, you know. I wish to row across your eyes and pick strawberries from your hair." - Griffith, to Isabella, referring to her red hair and a lake near his home that is the "exact shade of blue" as her eyes. He is ... not quite himself at this point in the story. (p. 185)